The Absorbine, Jr. Mouthwash Award Goes to,...

The St. Louis Cardinals slugger is upset that he lost out to Ryan Howard for the National League MVP award, saying yesterday that the honor should go to someone on a playoff team.

"I see it this way: Someone who doesn't take his team to the playoffs doesn't deserve to win the MVP," Pujols said during a news conference organized by the Dominican Republic's sports ministry in Santo Domingo.

R Family Vacations - the gay-friendly travel outfit backed by Rosie O'Donnell - will run a weekend trip here for 400 people March 10 and 11.

This will be R Family's first land destination. It previously has booked cruises.

Such a high-profile booking had been a dream of Jeff Guaracino of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. since 2003, when GPTMC launched the gay-focused tourism campaign "Philadelphia: Get Your History Straight and Your Nightlife Gay."

Around the time of the rollout, Guaracino says, he met Gregg Kaminsky, who then was founding R Family with Kelli O'Donnell, Rosie's other half.

Attendees paying $250 per person will get an overnight hotel stay at the Hyatt Regency at Penn's Landing, a lunch, a dinner, a brunch, a bowling party, and tours of a museum and the Liberty Bell.

The city sees green, along with the pink ribbons. Guaracino points to a study that says gay travelers to Philadelphia spend twice as much as general overnight visitors ($233 per day, compared with $101 per day).

The TrekMedic ponders:

Pujols - bitter whine,...er,...wine comes from sour grapes.

And the last time the TrekMedic looked, the color of Philadelphia's collars was blue, not pink!Rosie,..take your leftist, immoral trash somewhere else! You're always shooting your mouth off about how nice Iraqis are, take your tours there,...Muslims just LOVE homosexuals!

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

The CHRISTmas S**t is Starting Early This Year!

VIENNA, Austria — St. Nick, nein! A ban on St. Nicholas at Vienna's kindergartens is taking some of the ho-ho-ho out of the holidays for tens of thousands of tots this year.

And it's creating a political ruckus, with opposition parties accusing City Hall of kowtowing to a growing Muslim population by showing Europe's Santa the kindergarten door.

Municipal officials insist their decision is prompted more by psychology than political correctness.

Instead of joy, the sight of a strange bearded figure at the door evokes fear in most kids, they argue. And they point out that the policy on St. Nicholas is more than a decade old — though they concede it is being enforced more rigorously than in the past.

While Santa rules in the far north, the jolly elf has little tradition in Austria and surrounding countries. As in past years, some booths at Vienna's main Christmas market are again plastered with stickers depicting Santa with a diagonal red bar across his fluffy white beard — the work of a group in Austria, Switzerland and Germany that sees Santa as a symbol of the commercialization of Christmas and a threat to local traditions.

The TrekMedic is incredulous:

"Evokes fear in most kids??"

Does this invoke any fear in you??

Now, this is a picture that should invoke fear in all children! (and adults, too!)

A Little Less Philliness

Mayor Street's brother - T. Milton Street Sr. - and two others were indicted this afternoon on corruption and tax charges related to their contract at Philadelphia International Airport.

A federal grand jury alleged that after John F. Street took office in January 2000, Milton Street "began hiring himself out as a highly paid consultant to area businesses who believed that Milton Street could help them obtain business with the city of Philadelphia."

From 2000 to 2004, Milton Street received about $2 million in consulting and other non-vending income, none of which he reported to the Internal Revenue Service, the grand jury charged. He was hired by a company called Philadelphia Airport Services to be a consultant for $30,000 a month, the grand jury said.

In an interview outside his Moorestown home, Milton Street said that he had done nothing wrong.

"I am not going to lose any sleep," Milton Street told The Inquirer. "Let's face it: They didn't get John, they have to go after somebody.

"It's sort of like a football game," Milton Street said. "There are two sides. We will go to court. They will present their side, and I will present my side. And 12 people will decide. It will work out. I've been through lots of battles, lots of battle scars. I'll be OK."

Milton Street, a former hot dog vendor, was also the president of a company called Notlim, which was certified with the city's Minority Business Enterprise Council.

Also charged were John H. Velardi Sr. and Matthias A. Schwabe, both officials with Philadelphia Airport Services.

U.S. Attorney Patrick Meehan detailed the charges at an afternoon news conference with IRS and FBI agents.

"Milton Street wanted the IRS to believe he was a humble street vendor selling hot dogs and soda," Meehan said. "What he didn't tell them is that he was making millions on nothing more than his last name."

Milton Street, former state representative and state senator, has long been a subject of controversy, dabbling in a number of entrepreneurial ventures.

Two years ago, he teamed with a local investor to operate amphibious tour boats, called Super Ducks.

And in the summer of 2005, the night before the Live 8 concert in Philadelphia, the city disclosed that it had hired him as the minority partner to the prime vending contractor, giving him control of at least 17 percent of the vending locations set aside for women and minorities.

The mayor at the time defended his brother, noting his 30 years of vending experience.

"I don't believe any opportunity he got, he got because of his relationship with me. I think he got it because he earned it, and paid the money," the mayor said.

It has never been clear how much profit Milton Street earned from his jobs.

Last November, he filed for bankruptcy, saying that he had $75,000 in unsecured debt and that his only income was $900 a month from an unidentified source. A judge later dismissed the claim, in part because Street, who lived in New Jersey, filed it in Pennsylvania.

Despite his financial woes, however, last spring Street attempted to again capture a seat in the Pennsylvania House. But a judge eventually threw him off the ballot because the bankruptcy documents showed his actual residence to be in New Jersey.

Bitch, Slapped (Again)

WASHINGTON — House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi has told Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings that he will not be the next chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, the two Democrats announced Tuesday.

"I have been informed by the speaker-elect that I will not serve as the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in the 110th Congress. I am obviously disappointed with this decision. As we learn in Ecclesiastes, however, for everything there is a season," he said in a press statement.

"Congressman Alcee Hastings and I have had extensive consultations, and today I advised him that I would select someone else as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Alcee Hastings has always placed national security as his highest priority. He has served our country well, and I have full confidence that he will continue to do so," Pelosi said in a separate release.

No schedule has been set for Pelosi to name a chairman to the panel responsible for oversight of NSA warrantless wiretapping, leaks of classified information and the intelligence community's efforts to combat terror. The position must be filled by Jan. 4, 2007, when the 110th Congress convenes.

Monday, November 27, 2006

E-A-G-L-E-S (Oh,...WTF???)

OK,..no silly songs this week. Just a few serious questions from the Trekmedic:

Does Jimmy Johnson's defense know that the NFL isn't some community two-hand touch league?? You tackle your opponents, not slap their asses as they blow by your for 5 more yards!

Once again, it took the Andy Morninwheg/Marty Reid show almost the first half to realize that the Colts couldn't stop our running game, either. Of course, by then the Eagles were 21 points in the hole and a running game takes a LOT of time.

When you're pressed for time, LONG passes can make up a lot of ground in very little time. Jerry Garcia,..I mean, Jeff Garcia can't do it. A.J. Feeley can! Take the hint, Andy. Personal promises to has-beens to get them to sign on with your team don't win games, good players do!

Sunday, November 26, 2006

A Sunday Funny

A Very Sad Day,....

The following post is from BobG at Sweet Spirits of Ammonia: Time of MourningYesterday, after a long illness, my wife passed away. My daughters and I are in mourning and would be grateful for your prayers. She was always very supportive of my blogging and I will strive to continue to post again as I can bring myself to do it.

The TrekMedic implores everyone to visit his site and offer their condolences. This is a great loss to the community.

Friday, November 24, 2006

Poor Nancy,..Squeak, Squeak, Squeak!

For all of the dire warnings and pre-election commotion about the impact of a Democratic majority in Congress, the fact is that – now that it is upon us – it can do little or nothing but harass the administration.

There is no real danger of any legislative action emerging from this Congress. Yes, the president has a veto the Democrats cannot override, but nothing will ever make it as far as the desk at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., are just spinning their wheels.

In the Senate, there is no such thing as a majority. Ever since the elder Bush's administration, the filibuster has become routine. No longer reserved for civil-rights issues or for egregious legislation, it now is used to counter even motions for recess and adjournment. Members of the Senate are no longer subjected to the indignity of standing on their feet and reading a telephone book. Rather, the gentlemen’s filibuster applies.

The majority leader phones the minority leader and asks if a filibuster is in effect. With his feet up on his desk, the Republican replies that it is and the Democrat, despite his majority, does not even think about bringing up his bill for consideration unless he has a good shot at the 60 votes required to shut off debate. In the Senate, 51 votes determine who gets the corner office, but to pass legislation, one needs 60.

In the House of Representatives, with its 435 members, the Republican Party needed a simple majority – 218 – to rule. The Democrats need considerably more. The normal rules of a mathematical majority do not take into account the fractious nature of the Democratic Party.

Where the Republican majority best resembled the Prussian Army – disciplined, unified and determined – the Democratic majority in the upcoming Congress is disunited, dispersed and divided into myriad caucuses and special interest groups.One could purchase the Republican majority wholesale by making a deal with the speaker and the majority leader. But to get the Democratic majority in line, one has buy it retail — caucus by caucus.

(snip)

Nancy Pelosi will face the same obstacle. By the time her legislation emerges from the lower chamber, it will bear little resemblance to what she had in mind, liberal as that might have been. As Clinton said, after he watched the mangling of his legislative program by the various caucuses in the House, “I didn’t even recognize myself.”

Once the highly amended liberal legislation emerges from the House, it will make easy fodder for a Senate filibuster. So left leaning that it stands no chance of attracting 60 votes, it will be dead-on-arrival.

So forget the nightmares about an amended Patriot Act or restrictions on wiretapping for homeland security. Don’t worry about House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel’s, D-N.Y., ravings about the draft or the rumors of a tax increase. It's not going to happen.

What is the Democratic majority good for? One thing and one thing only – to give their party control of the committees and the subpoena power that goes with it. The two House Democratic majority can only make noise and make trouble. It can’t pass legislation.

Selfish S**thead!

LOS ANGELES — O.J. Simpson told The Associated Press he participated in the ill-fated "If I Did It" book and interview project for one reason — personal profit, and he acknowledged that any financial gain was "blood money."

"This was an opportunity for my kids to get their financial legacy," Simpson said in interviews this week with the AP after the book deal was abandoned by its publisher. "My kids understand. I made it clear that it's blood money, but it's no different than any of the other writers who did books on this case."

The book, said to describe how he theoretically would have committed the murders of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, had been scheduled for release Nov. 30 following the airing of a two-part Simpson interview on Fox on Monday and Wednesday.

News Corp., owner of Fox Broadcasting and publisher HarperCollins, canceled the project after a public outcry and objections by advertisers and booksellers.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

This Isn't a Coincedence,.....

BAGHDAD, Iraq — After nearly a quarter-century of severed ties, Iraq on Tuesday resumed diplomatic relations with neighboring Syria — a move seen as a possible step toward stemming some of the unrelenting violence, which claimed another 100 lives.

The Iraqi and Syrian presidents also received invitations from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to a weekend summit in Tehran to tackle the chaos in Iraq, Iraqi lawmakers said. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's spokesman said his boss would attend but that Syrian President Bashar Assad would not. The invitation was thought to be an attempt by Iran to upstage expected U.S. moves to include Syria and Iran in a wider regional effort to clamp off violence in Iraq.

The announcement of restored Iraqi-Syrian ties came during a groundbreaking visit to Baghdad by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem.

"The latest talks between the Syrian and Iraqi side have been crowned by declaring a new era with the participation of the Syrian brothers in working on the security and stability with Iraq and restoring full diplomatic relations," said Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh.

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Prominent anti-Syrian Christian politician Pierre Gemayel was assassinated in a suburb of Beirut on Tuesday, his party's radio station reported.

His fatal shooting will certainly heighten the political tension in Lebanon, where the leading Muslim Shiite party Hezbollah has threatened to topple the government if he does not get a bigger say in Cabinet decision making.

Gemayel was rushed to a nearby hospital seriously wounded, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corp. and Voice of Lebanon, the Phalange Party mouthpiece reported.

The party later announced that he was dead.

Gemayel, the minister of industry and son of former President Amin Gemayel, is a member of the Phalange party and supporter of the anti-Syrian parliamentary majority, which is locked in a power struggle with pro-Syrian factions led by Hezbollah.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Pierre Robert at 25 Years

"I GREW UP passionate about rock 'n' roll, but my rock 'n' roll dreams never came true until I came to Philly."

This is how disc jockey Pierre Robert began his wild, hilarious and introspective look back at 25 years behind the microphone at WMMR (93.3-FM).

Asked to come up with the top 25 rock 'n' roll moments of his career to commemorate his Nov. 25 silver anniversary, the lovable, long-haired DJ settled back on a big, black leather couch outside his studio one recent Tuesday for an hours-long retrospective that colorfully bounced from an early '80s Mick Jagger interview at the Four Seasons to the fall of the Berlin Wall to Live Aid and more.

Since 1981, this people-loving rock devotee has made a ridiculously fun career of spinning everything from the Rolling Stones to the Stone Temple Pilots, from the Doors to 3 Doors Down, while doing groundbreaking, history-making rock interviews, on-air gags and other stunts that have made the local station an institution.

Born William Pierre Robert and raised in San Francisco during the 1960s and '70s, he was an avid rock 'n' roll fan who would listen to the radio and daydream about meeting his idols.

To "get close to the music," he did a stint on a San Francisco radio station in his early 20s, eventually hopping in his white Volks-wagen van (named Minerva) and heading East when the station changed its format from rock to country.

He landed at WMMR at age 25, and hasn't budged since, earning respect for more than just the songs he plays. From his candle-scented, dimly lit studio, the strict vegetarian talks to fans - whom he calls "citizens" - about the importance of being environmentally and politically conscious, and he tirelessly works for local charities and individuals.

The TrekMedic rocks:

Read the entire story for his 25 moments. Pierre is truly the last of a dying breed of original DJs: yes, he prattles on and on ad nauseum about life, but at least he doesn't insult his audience with stupidity about how often lesbian nuns fart in church!

NEW YORK - Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies was voted the National League's Most Valuable Player on Monday, beating out the St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols.

Howard received 20 first-place votes and 12 seconds for 388 points in balloting by a panel of the Baseball Writers' Association of American. Pujols got 12 firsts, 19 seconds and one third for 347 points.

Howard, the 2005 NL Rookie of the Year, led the major leagues with 58 homers and 149 RBIs. He hit .313 and set Phillies records for home runs and RBIs while producing the highest totals in those categories in big league history for a second-year player.

"I tried to treat this like any other day," said Howard, who turned 27 on Sunday, in a story on MLB.com. "I wasn't consumed by it, because it was out of my hands. But to finally get to this point ... to get the call ... it's definitely a relief. It is a good birthday present, and an honor to be named NL MVP."

You're as American as red meat and shooting ranges.Tough and independent, you think big.You love everything about the US, wrong or right.And anyone who criticizes your home better not do it in front of you!

Oh, No! Hans Brix Again!

TOKYO — Former U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix said Friday that North Korea would one day master nuclear weapons technology despite its apparently less-than-successful atomic test, and he warned that the world must avoid striking a quick disarmament deal that lacks effective verification measures.

Blix said verification would be the key to ensuring compliance in any nuclear accord with Pyongyang, as the country returns to six-nation talks on its weapons program.

"I have no illusion it will be easy," he said.

President Bush, speaking Friday in Vietnam at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, urged other nations to take a tough line on enforcing U.N. sanctions against North Korea, adopted after the communist nation's Oct. 9 test that may have only partially detonated.

"It's important for the world to see that the Security Council resolutions which were passed are implemented" against North Korea, Bush said. "So part of my discussions will be how we fully implement those sanctions that the world has asked for."

The TrekMedic enriches:

Don't worry,...with all the Clinton-esque hot air the Coalition-of-the-Cut-n-Runners (110th Congress) will blow at him, Kim Jong Il will have plenty of nukes in no time flat!

Even though he lost his Senate seat last week by 18 points to Democrat Bob Casey Jr., some supporters hoped he would still fill the social conservative niche on the Republican ticket.

William J. Bennett, the former U.S. secretary of education and national drug czar, had predicted a "draft Rick Santorum" movement, citing a lack of conservatism on the part of the current GOP front-runners, Sen. John McCain of Arizona and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

Bloggers hashed out the possibility over the last week, too, posting commentary under headlines like "Rick Santorum for President!"

One online betting Web site listed his odds at 18-to-1, better than former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, but longer than Giuliani, McCain, or Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

"I've told you that like 10 times," Santorum said yesterday in a brief phone call.

True, he has said before that the presidency in 2008 probably wasn't in his plans. But he's also squirmed a bit on the point. In July 2005, he said he would not run. The next day, he said he would not completely rule it out.

When he released It Takes a Family, his 2005 book outlining his conservative philosophy, pundits suspected Santorum was aiming for a national audience.

Losing in a landslide "is hardly a recommendation to your political party to nominate you," said Larry Sabato, a University of Virginia political analyst. "Adding him to a Republican ticket in either spot would guarantee a loss in Pennsylvania."

Santorum cited his family as the reason he won't go for it.

"I have no bitterness towards anyone, but it was tough," Santorum said about the Senate race. "My wife went through a heck of a lot."

Opponents criticized the two-term senator for spending most of his time in Virginia while a Pittsburgh-area school district subsidized his children's tuition in a Pennsylvania cyber charter school. Santorum has said he paid local taxes and owned a house in the district.

He said he had spent the last week meeting with staff - "it has been very teary" - and considering job offers, including some from media outlets. He declined to provide details.

Santorum told Smerconish he hoped to travel to Africa next year to continue the work he started in the Senate with Bono on AIDS and debt relief.

Now They tell Us!

WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 — One of the most resonant arguments in the debate over Iraq holds that the United States can move forward by pulling its troops back, as part of a phased withdrawal. If American troops begin to leave and the remaining forces assume a more limited role, the argument holds, it will galvanize the Iraqi government to assume more responsibility for securing and rebuilding Iraq.

This is the case now being argued by many Democrats, most notably Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who asserts that the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq should begin within four to six months.

But this argument is being challenged by a number of military officers, experts and former generals, including some who have been among the most vehement critics of the Bush administration’s Iraq policies. (And where the hell have they been hiding?? - TM251)

Anthony C. Zinni, the former head of the United States Central Command and one of the retired generals who called for the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, argued that any substantial reduction of American forces over the next several months would be more likely to accelerate the slide to civil war than stop it.

“The logic of this is you put pressure on Maliki and force him to stand up to this,” General Zinni said in an interview, referring to Nuri Kamal al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister. “Well, you can’t put pressure on a wounded guy. There is a premise that the Iraqis are not doing enough now, that there is a capability that they have not employed or used. I am not so sure they are capable of stopping sectarian violence.”

Instead of taking troops out, General Zinni said, it would make more sense to consider deploying additional American forces over the next six months to “regain momentum” as part of a broader effort to stabilize Iraq that would create more jobs, foster political reconciliation and develop more effective Iraqi security forces.

The TrekMedic asserts:

And Squeaker of the Mouse lap-chihuahua Murtha claims he was "Swift-boated?" The TrekMedic thinks the entire electoral public just got hoodwinked, too!

Hoyer handily defeated Rep. John Murtha, who had the backing of House Speaker-nominee Nancy Pelosi to be her chief deputy when Democrats take back the House in January.

"My pledge to my caucus and my pledge to my country is: I will work as hard as I can, exercise as much talent as I have to make sure that the agenda that has been put before the American people by Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Party, an agenda of change ... will take this country in a new direction," Hoyer said.

Hoyer's success is a setback for Pelosi, who had faced her first leadership challenge by tossing aside her current deputy, with whom she had a chilly relationship, in favor of her longtime ally. Pelosi had been nominated earlier in the day to be the Democratic nominee for House speaker, the first woman to become second in line in succession for the presidency.

In introducing the new leadership team, Pelosi congratulated Hoyer, but said before he speaks, she wanted to "acknowledge the magnificent contribution of Mr. Murtha to this debate on the war in Iraq." (cough,..cough,..clueless bitch,..cough!)

The TrekMedic raises a glass of Jagermeister and thinks:

Here's to hoping this is the first in a long line of political gaffes for Squeaker of the Mouse Pelosi!

I know you are dismayed and disheartened at the results of last week's election. You're worried that the country is heading toward a very bad place you don't want it to go. Your 12-year Republican Revolution has ended with so much yet to do, so many promises left unfulfilled. You are in a funk, and I understand.

Well, cheer up, my friends! Do not despair. I have good news for you. I, and the millions of others who are now in charge with our Democratic Congress, have a pledge we would like to make to you, a list of promises that we offer you because we value you as our fellow Americans. You deserve to know what we plan to do with our newfound power -- and, to be specific, what we will do to you and for you.

Thus, here is our Liberal's Pledge to Disheartened Conservatives:

Dear Conservatives and Republicans,

I, and my fellow signatories, hereby make these promises to you:

1. We will always respect you for your conservative beliefs. We will never, ever, call you "unpatriotic" simply because you disagree with us. In fact, we encourage you to dissent and disagree with us.2. We will let you marry whomever you want, even when some of us consider your behavior to be "different" or "immoral." Who you marry is none of our business. Love and be in love -- it's a wonderful gift.

3. We will not spend your grandchildren's money on our personal whims or to enrich our friends. It's your checkbook, too, and we will balance it for you.

4. When we soon bring our sons and daughters home from Iraq , we will bring your sons and daughters home, too. They deserve to live. We promise never to send your kids off to war based on either a mistake or a lie.

5. When we make America the last Western democracy to have universal health coverage, and all Americans are able to get help when they fall ill, we promise that you, too, will be able to see a doctor, regardless of your ability to pay. And when stem cell research delivers treatments and cures for diseases that affect you and your loved ones, we'll make sure those advances are available to you and your family, too.

6. Even though you have opposed environmental regulation, when we clean up our air and water, we, the Democratic majority, will let you, too, breathe the cleaner air and drink the purer water.

7. Should a mass murderer ever kill 3,000 people on our soil, we will devote every single resource to tracking him down and bringing him to justice. Immediately. We will protect you.

8. We will never stick our nose in your bedroom or your womb. What you do there as consenting adults is your business. We will continue to count your age from the moment you were born, not the moment you were conceived.

9. We will not take away your hunting guns. If you need an automatic weapon or a handgun to kill a bird or a deer, then you really aren't much of a hunter and you should, perhaps, pick up another sport. We will make our streets and schools as free as we can from these weapons and we will protect your children just as we would protect ours.10. When we raise the minimum wage, we will pay you -- and your employees -- that new wage, too. When women are finally paid what men make, we will pay conservative women that wage, too.

11. We will respect your religious beliefs, even when you don't put those beliefs into practice. In fact, we will actively seek to promote your most radical religious beliefs ("Blessed are the poor," "Blessed are the peacemakers," "Love your enemies," "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God," and "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."). We will let people in other countries know that God doesn't just bless America , he blesses everyone. We will discourage religious intolerance and fanaticism -- starting with the fanaticism here at home, thus setting a good example for the rest of the world.

12. We will not tolerate politicians who are corrupt and who are bought and paid for by the rich. We will go after any elected leader who puts him or herself ahead of the people. And we promise you we will go after the corrupt politicians on our side FIRST. If we fail to do this, we need you to call us on it. Simply because we are in power does not give us the right to turn our heads the other way when our party goes astray. Please perform this important duty as the loyal opposition.

I promise all of the above to you because this is your country, too. You are every bit as American as we are. We are all in this together. We sink or swim as one. Thank you for your years of service to this country and for giving us the opportunity to see if we can make things a bit better for our 300 million fellow Americans -- and for the rest of the world.

Washington, DC : Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) questioned soon-to-be House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) commitment to eradicating corruption with her endorsement of one of the most unethical members in Congress, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), to be Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.

Rep. Murtha was listed in CREW's report Beyond DeLay: The 20 Most Corrupt Members of Congress (and five to watch). As reported in the study and by the news media, Rep. Murtha has been involved in a number of pay-to play schemes involving former staffers and his brother, Robert 'Kit' Murtha.

Eight incumbents in CREW's report lost their races to ethics issues.

Future House Speaker Pelosi's endorsement of Rep. Murtha, one of the most unethical members of Congress, shows that she may have prioritized ethics reform merely to win votes with no real commitment to changing the culture of corruption, Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW said today. "How can Americans believe that the Democrats will return integrity to the House when future Speaker Pelosi has endorsed an ethically-challenged member for a leadership position? Rep. Murtha is the wrong choice for this job."

Not only is Rep. Murtha beset by ethics issues, The New York Times reported on October 2, 2006 that he has consistently opposed ethics and earmark reform. Sloan continued, "Rep. Murtha's opposition to ethics reform does not bode well for future Speaker Pelosi's promise to enact ethics legislation in the first 100 hours of the new Congress."

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Why John Bolton MUST Stay!

UNITED NATIONS — The United States vetoed a U.N. Security Council draft resolution Saturday that sought to condemn an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and demand Israeli troops pull out of the territory.

U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said the Arab-backed draft resolution was "biased against Israel and politically motivated."

"This resolution does not display an evenhanded characterization of the recent events in Gaza, nor does it advance the cause of Israeli-Palestinian peace to which we aspire and for which we are working assiduously," he told the Security Council.

The draft received 10 votes in favor and four abstentions, along with the U.S. vote against. Britain, Denmark, Japan and Slovakia all abstained. The U.S. is one of five permanent members of the council that has the power to veto resolutions.

It was the second U.S. veto this year of a Security Council draft resolution concerning Israeli military operations in Gaza. The U.S. blocked action on a document this summer after Israel launched its offensive in response to the capture of an Israeli soldier by Hamas-linked Palestinian militants.

The TrekMedic adds:

It amazes the TrekMedic how so many secular, liberal Jews in the US continue to support the Democratic Party when the Dems want nothing more than to appease the UNtied Nations and force this country to capitulate to their every whim!

If it weren't for Ambassador Bolton, this nonsense would have passed and weakened Israel's position in the Middle East!

Saturday, November 11, 2006

The Soundtrack of Your Life

Here's how it works:1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)2. Put it on shuffle3. Press play4. For every question, type the song that's playing5. When you go to a new question, press the next button6. Don't lie and try to pretend your cool...

Another Icon Passes,....

LOS ANGELES — Jack Palance, the craggy-faced menace in "Shane," "Sudden Fear" and other films who turned successfully to comedy in his 70s with his Oscar-winning self-parody in "City Slickers," has died.

Palance died of natural causes Friday at his home in Montecito, California, surrounded by family, said spokesman Dick Guttman. He was 87.

When Palance accepted his Oscar for best supporting actor he delighted viewers of the 1992 Academy Awards by dropping to the stage and performing one-armed push-ups to demonstrate his physical prowess.

"That's nothing, really," he said slyly. "As far as two-handed push-ups, you can do that all night, and it doesn't make a difference whether she's there or not."

That year's Oscar host, Billy Crystal, turned the moment into a running joke, making increasingly outlandish remarks about Palance's accomplishments throughout the show.

It was a magic moment that epitomized the actor's 40 years in films. Always the iconoclast, Palance had scorned most of his movie roles.

Some People Are Starting to Get It!

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - It is beginning to look a lot more like Christmas at Wal-Mart.

This holiday season, Wal-Mart isn’t trumpeting big bargains only. It’s also bringing “Christmas” back into its marketing, after several years of playing down the term.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Christmas cheer seems to be a hot trend this season as several other retailers including Kohl’s Corp. and Macy’s, a division of Federated Department Stores Inc., are also stepping up their Christmas marketing. The moves respond to mounting criticism from religious groups that staged boycotts against Wal-Mart and other merchants after they eliminated or de-emphasized “Christmas” in their advertising.

“We learned a lesson from that. Merry Christmas is now part of the vocabulary here at Wal-Mart,” said Linda Blakley, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman.

Wal-Mart said Thursday that it will launch its first Christmas-specific TV ad in several years, feature Christmas shops, previously called Holiday Shops, and increase the number of seasonal merchandise labeled “Christmas” instead of “holiday” by 60 percent.

Macy’s is adding Christmas signage in all of its department stores and Kohl’s is playing up Christmas this year in its TV, print and radio advertising, according to Vicki Shamion, a Kohl’s spokeswoman.

Still, not everyone is following suit.

“We are going to continue to use the term holiday because there are several holidays throughout that time period, and we certainly need to be respectful of all of them,” said Dawn Bryant, a spokeswoman at Best Buy Co. Inc., whose advertising omits any reference to Christmas.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

The Red November Initiative, Revisted

Well,...looks like the MSM managed to bulls**t enough people that voting for Republicans would result in the end of America as we know it, so,..let's look at some of the candidates the TrekMedic (and supporters) endorsed:

Lynn Swann for Governor, Pennsylvania:Political pundits everywhere will tell you its nearly-impossible to dislodge a sitting governor in PA, regardless of party affiliation. Swann came out early, then sat back for far too long and let Ed Rendell get even more entrenched. Here's hoping we hear from Swann again in a few years (maybe US Congress in Sewickley?)

Rick Santorum for US Senator, Pennsylvania:Crucified for sticking to his beliefs. We will also hear from him again in the near future. (Wouldn't a Santorum/Swann ticket for 2010 Governor sound cool??)

Raj Peter Bhakta for US Congress, PA-13:Derided by the media as a 'showboater' for some of his gimmicks, but Raj really did care about NE Philly and Eastern Montgomery County. When the MSM doesn't give you any press time, you have to grandstand a little to get noticed. Sadly, until the next census, the PA-13 is Allyson Schwartz' for the taking - NE Philly is loading up with blacks and Hispanics that live for Democratic hand-outs and the Eastern side of Montgomery County has a large liberal, secular, Jewish population that always supports the Democratic Party (and who's taxes pay for the welfare addicts on the other side of the 13th District).

Mike Fitzpatrick for US Congress, PA-6:See Rick Santorum. How can you vote in Patrick Murphy when every local newspaper questioned why Murphy was even running for such a high office?? Hitler could have run against Fitzpatrick and won, considering the zombie-like "must-pull-big-D" mentality on Tuesday!

Jim Gerlach for US Congress, PA-8:Mercifully, Gerlach survived to MSM-led purge. The TrekMedic will now consider establishing the new TrekAbode somewhere in his district, since, obviously, some people in Pennsylvania actually have some brains!

And now,....the TrekMedic would like to thank a few people behind the Red November Initiative:

Ditto for Paul at Right in Philly, although bringing a future Republican into this world curtailed his blogging activities. Hopefully, Squeaker of the Mouse Pelosi won't pass too many bills that would hurt this kid!

AlexC, John Galt and JK from Three Sources. Although not officially an RNI member (hint), they all took up the banner and ran with it. People should also know that AlexC worked tirelessly on the Santorum Blog, as well.

Now,..as for the rest of you,....

Several people originally stepped up to help the Red November Initiative and simply disappeared, especially in some of the key battleground states! Matt, a/k/a the Drunken Samurai, has several personal issues pull him away from the blogosphere for the time being. But the rest of you - the TrekMedic hopes you enjoy life under the thumb of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid! Go back to blogging about cookie recipes and life with your pets! You are now officially persona non grata around here!

That's all, folks. The Red November Initiative is now on hiatus. The rolls will open again when the 2008 silly season is upon us.

The message to the Republican Party is clear -reclaim your conservative roots or be condemned to minority status for decades.

The Republicans must immediately begin to convincingly work for the conservative principles which they promised to support when they got elected. As Michael Savage says, Borders, Language, Culture. Republicans had four years to secure the borders - they didn't do it. Republicans had four years to make English America's official language - they didn't do it. Republicans had four years to get the garbage in the media out of our children's faces - they didn't do it. Republicans had four years to cut government spending - they didn't do it.

No Media Bias, Huh?

Washington Post ombudsman Deborah Howell writes that her paper's coverage of Virginia Republican Senator George Allen has been "relentlessly negative" and without balance. Howell also says a profile of Maryland Democratic Senate candidate Ben Cardin was not critical enough — calling it "relentlessly positive"— while the paper underplayed a story about several prominent black Democrats endorsing Republican Michael Steele— who is an African-American.

And Howell agrees with some readers that photographs in the paper tend to show Democrats looking cheerful and confident — and Republicans looking grim.

Congressional Endorsements

The New York Times says for the first time in memory it is not endorsing a single Republican Congressional candidate in tomorrow's elections.

The Times has always sprinkled in endorsements of moderate Republicans based on their records. It has endorsed current candidates Christopher Shays and Nancy Johnson as far back as 1990 —- and also favored past Republicans such as Susan Molinari, Lowell Weicker and Rick Lazio.

But now The Times says House Republicans have "wrecked the budget, hobbled the middle class and endangered the long-term economy." It describes Republican Congressional leaders as "burned-out" and "brain-dead."

The Times says the election is about President Bush— and blames Congressional Republicans for "protecting him from the consequences of his mistakes and misdeeds."

Sunday, November 05, 2006

The Biggest Reason to Vote on November 7th!

November 7th is a national election day. Many of the choices made in the voting booth will shape our policies and our future for the next two years and beyond.

Regardless of your political affiliation, regardless of the rhetoric of the past few months, all of you, as American citizens, need to vote.

Why???

As Americans, we consider the right to vote to be a birthright. Sometimes we take it for granted. Yet, in countries far away, tens of thousands of American volunteers, and our like-minded allies, have placed themselves on the front lines, bringing to many a concept that has stood solid for more than 200 hundred years ( and many more from our forebears, the British, who introduced the parliamentary system upon which our government is based).

To not vote on November 7th is to land a slap on the face upon each and every soldier, Marine, airman, and sailor serving today. (That includes people like Cpl. David Toms, USMC, and PO2 Kevin Smith, USN)

To not vote sends a message to the peoples of the world that don't have such a birthright that we are nothing more than hypocrites, failing to practice what we preach!

Just remember these pictures and decide if you're going to sit out this election or practice your Constitutionally-guaranteed birthright as Americans:

Ahhh,..Shaddup!

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Saddam Hussein, the iron-fisted dictator who ruled Iraq for nearly a quarter of a century, was found guilty of crimes against humanity Sunday and sentenced to death by hanging.

The so-called Butcher of Baghdad, who was president of Iraq from 1979 until he was deposed by Coalition forces in April 2003, was convicted of the 1982 killings of 148 Shiites in the city of Dujail.

The visibly shaken former leader shouted "God is great!" as Iraq's High Tribunal announced his sentence.

Saddam's half brother and former intelligence chief Barzan Ibrahim, and Awad Hamed al-Bandar, head of the former Revolutionary Court, were sentenced to join Saddam on the gallows for the Dujail killings after an unsuccessful assassination attempt during a Saddam visit to the city 35 miles north of Baghdad.

Raj Bhakta - Not Going Down Without a Fight!

Forget the elephants, the body bags, the bow tie, and the mariachi band.

To truly appreciate the reality-TV campaign of Apprentice exile Raj Peter Bhakta, watch the five-minute video of the polo-shirted candidate chasing a half-naked man through the alleys of Brownsville, Texas.

That would be 1,900 miles from the congressional district he hopes to represent in Northeast Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

"There he is! Get him, get him!" Bhakta commands the cameraman as the sodden immigrant emerges from the U.S. side of the Rio Grande after a short swim from Mexico.

To some, the very campaign of Bhakta - who was "fired" in Episode 9 of Donald Trump's Apprentice 2 reality show but impressed viewers with a cocky charm - is the absurdity.

That would include his opponent, U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz.

"I think the way he's run this race and who he is is clear to the voters," said Schwartz, 58, of Rydal, considered a formidable politician and fund-raiser.

As a four-term state senator, Schwartz made her name spearheading Pennsylvania's Children's Health Insurance Program legislation, which now covers 150,000 children. She wants to expand that on the federal level. Her landslide congressional victory in 2004 set her up as a powerful force in a district that has historically been up for grabs.

But who is the man who campaigns simply as "Raj"?

Bhakta is the son of Indian and Irish immigrants who has made the elimination of Section 8 public housing and erection of a border fence his central tenets.

To Tom Ellis, the Republican chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, he's "a breath of fresh air," a young candidate with ideas and panache who is recognizable to Ellis' teenage daughters. Bhakta says he's a reformer - even President Bush is a target - for honest government and fiscal responsibility.

About five miles outside Brownsville, on a private ranch, he rented three elephants and hired a mariachi band and paraded them along the banks of the Rio Grande.

He was outraged, just outraged, that the Border Patrol didn't come to investigate, even though Bhakta later conceded he didn't actually cross into Mexico - as he would claim on his homemade video.

Via that stunt, Bhakta You-Tubed his way onto The O'Reilly Factor to discuss border security, while Schwartz was emphasizing security for Philadelphia's ports, airport and public transit and calling for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to step down.

Schwartz is considered such a prohibitive favorite - national Republicans regard the seat as "unwinnable," Ellis said - that her issues have been subsumed to the coverage of Bhakta's stunts.

Schwartz shrugs. "I'm running on my record," she said.

As of Oct. 18, Schwartz had raised more than $2.6 million, and had more than $500,000 to spend. Bhakta had raised $435,000 - largely on his own - and had less than $50,000 heading toward Election Day.

Bhakta should be getting a lot more money at this point "if people thought he had any chance," said Berwood Yost, director of the Floyd Institute's Center for Opinion Research at Franklin and Marshall College.

Yost said Bhakta's DUI history - his most recent arrest was in 2004 - could also hamper his ability to offer himself as an alternative to a corrupt establishment.

Undaunted, Bhakta was in front of City Hall on Halloween, laying 331 body bags in Dilworth Plaza to call attention to Philadelphia's 2006 murder tally, taking shots at another target, Mayor John Street. The next day, he was berating Bush and the Republican Congress for an "obese, sclerotic, dirty and debt-ridden government."

While pundits might not expect a victory, Bhakta may have defeated his greatest opponent - obscurity.

"He knew that the chances were not terrific that he would pull this off," Ellis said. "But I think he'll be around for a long time."

It has been hard not to experience the election as a brute-force clash between two armies struggling over terrain their soldiers have come to see, inevitably--they are at war, they are exhausted--as the location of the battle, but not its purpose. The nation is where the contest takes place; you can forget, in the fight, that its actual future is what's being fought for.

But here's an exception: the state of Pennsylvania, which has been this year a bright patch of meaning. Its U.S. Senate contest has been the great race of the cycle, the one about which conservatives in their hearts most care. And not only conservatives, but those who know, for whatever reason and in whatever way, that there is something truly at stake here, something beyond mere red team and blue.

That would be Sen. Rick Santorum. The sense among so many people--including politicians and journalists--is that the Senate needs his sort, his kind.

The other day I called a former senator, a crusty old moderate Republican, and asked him if he liked Mr. Santorum. "No," he said, "I love him." When Mr. Santorum was new to the Senate, in 1995, he, the elder, seasoned legislator tried to mentor him. He wanted to help him survive. Mr. Santorum was grateful and appreciative, "but he kept speaking his mind!" The former senator: "The political scientists all say to be honest and stand for principle, that's what people want. And he was exactly that, and he's about to get his head handed to him." He chuckled then with what seemed the reflexive pleasure of one pol about to see another take a tumble. Then he stopped. It was sad, he said.

HARRISBURG – Republican State Committee Executive Director Scott Migli today called for an immediate investigation into comments by U.S. Rep. Bob Brady (D-Philadelphia) in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer that appear to show an intent to circumvent state election laws. A new law signed by Gov. Rendell this year prohibits elected committee people from establishing polling places in their homes. Brady seems intent on continuing this long-held and now illegal Philadelphia practice by having committee people resign then reappointed the day after the Nov. 7 election.

A Few Doses of Philliness

The TrekMedic guesses Senator John "Just Joking, Ha-Ha-Ha" Kerry didn't really cancel his stump through Philly because it would make empty-suit Bob Casey, Jr. look bad (Casey's doing a fine job on that already) but because he heard neither Pat's nor Geno's Steaks would serve him a cheesesteak wit' Swiss Cheese again!

IN RECENT YEARS Philadelphia has been labeled as America's fattest city, also its most depressed city. People here drink and smoke more than the national average, it's been reported, while using seat belts less. Philadelphians also are (survey says!) the least-stylish, ugliest and least-friendly Americans. (Can you be friendly when you're ugly and wearing a granny dress or circus-print bell bottoms?)

Usually sponsored by magazines, so-called "worst" lists have less scientific reliability than astrology. They are a marketing gimmick.

Even though they are a glassy-eyed crock, they can hurt.

One reason the International Olympic Committee booted Philly as a site for the 2016 Summer Games was that the fancy pants on the committee had no "sense" about Philadelphia as a city.

Having no "sense" is better than the usual "sense" of Philly as a collection of the uneducated, the uncouth, the unkind and, as Lincoln Steffens termed us 100 years ago, the corrupt and contented. (That was, like, so cool.)

Since "worst" surveys are "fun" stories, they get play in masochistic publications in each city on the list. The magazines count on newspaper editorials, or columnists, to chime in to agree - or fight - with them.

Pennsylvania is America's second most gerrymandered state, and Philadelphia is home to its most gerrymandered city council district, according to a new study by a local geographic software development firm.

Researchers at Avencia Inc. studied the shapes of congressional districts in all 50 states as well as city council boundaries in 55 leading cities, publishing the conclusions yesterday in a white paper that argues that the trend toward oddly shaped, far-flung electoral jurisdictions is getting worse.

The study used mapping technology and a complex formula dividing a political subdivision's area by its perimeter and then factoring in the size of its entire surrounding jurisdiction to measure the compactness of local city council districts and all 435 U.S. congressional districts.

Among the states, only Georgia had a lower "gerrymandering index" than Pennsylvania. The lower the index, the more likely the congressional districts to be the sort of convoluted, snake-shaped jurisdictions designed by politicians to protect their friends and punish their foes.

A partial play on the word salamander, gerrymandering dates to the earliest days of the republic. Then, as now, the reapportioning of congressional districts that followed the 10-year national census provided politicians with an opportunity to gain advantage.

But advances in computer mapping in recent years have turned gerrymandering into a far more precise science - which critics say means most districts are so heavily slanted to one party that their general election is essentially a foregone conclusion.

The Avencia study found that three of the 10 most heavily gerrymandered congressional districts in America are in Pennsylvania: the 12th District, which snakes its way in a vaguely northeasterly direction starting in the southwest corner of the state; the 18th District, another ink blot-shaped jurisdiction in the western half of the state; and Philadelphia's own First District, which jogs down the eastern side of Broad Street before forking off toward two parts of Delaware County to the southwest.

The most gerrymandered local district in the country, according to the study, is Philadelphia's seventh City Council district, which includes parts of North and Northeast Philadelphia and is less than a block wide at several points. The area was represented by former Councilman Rick Mariano before his corruption conviction earlier this year.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Don't Blame Me, I Voted for Bush!

WASHINGTON — Though Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry apologized Wednesday for earlier remarks in which the Democrat suggested U.S. troops are "stuck in Iraq" because of a lack of education, many Republicans aren't about to let the gaffe go.

They say Kerry's comments may have been off-script, but they more accurately reveal the Vietnam veteran's true beliefs — a disdain for the military that stems from a "blame America first" mentality.

"John Kerry, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the 'blame America first' crowd, they want to blame Iraq on the president, (Defense Secretary Donald) Rumsfeld and everyone else. Why don't we blame it on the terrorists, the people who killed 2,000 people here in New York? Let's not blame it on everybody else," said House Majority Leader John Boehner, referring to his Democratic colleagues in the House and Senate.

"Let's blame the terrorists for the problems that we have. ... They want to blame America for the terrorists coming here and attacking our country. We have no choice but to take on these terrorists to defeat them," Boehner, R-Ohio, said.

"You remember John Kerry — the senator who voted for the $87 billion before he voted against it, the guy that was always lecturing us about 'nuance.' He's the one, you'll recall, who last year said that American soldiers were terrorizing children in Iraq," Vice President Dick Cheney said at a campaign event in Montana Wednesday night.

The TrekMedic adds:

Amazingly, there are some left-leaning bloggers who actually believe the whole debacle is somehow Bush's fault!

Slackitvist actually pauses from chugging the DNC Kool-Aid to post:

It seems that if you mock the president, he will pretend that you're actually mocking the troops, even though he knows you're not.

3. Bush is more interested in attacking his critics than he is in trying to find some less-than-eternally-disastrous solution for the Fiasco he has created in Iraq.

4. People claiming to be "journalists" act more like the panel of judges on Dancing With the Stars than like actual reporters. They're more interested in "scoring" any dispute, awarding style points for spin and for particularly bold doublespeak, than they are in sorting out the actual truth of anything and who is or isn't twisting that truth beyond recognition.

5. People claiming to be "journalists" will spend more time and attention examining the political effectiveness of Bush's baldly disingenuous claims to be offended on behalf of the "troops" than they ever will examining the many legitimate reasons those troops have to be offended on account of Bush.